


Necessity

by AnselaJonla



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen, Gender-Neutral Runner Five
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnselaJonla/pseuds/AnselaJonla
Summary: Five and Simon are attacked while out on a run.
Kudos: 10





	Necessity

Simon collapsed on the floor of the house, his back against the door. Five slumped down next to him, breathing the rapid pants of someone who has just literally run for their life.

“Y’okay?” Simon asked. That had been  _ seriously _ scary.

Five nodded. “Thought that dog had you then. Where did they even come from?”

Simon shook his head. He was as clueless as Five was. One second they were investigating a residential street, checking doors to see which had been left unlocked as the occupants fled for less-populated areas during the early days of panic. The next they were running for their lives from a pack of rather large and angry dogs.

Simon didn’t particularly  _ like _ hitting dogs, but he’d had to deal a resounding blow to one that had managed to sink its teeth into his trousers.

“You’re bleeding,” Five said bluntly. Simon squawked as Five pushed at his shoulder and hip, turning him over to get a better look at his leg.

It had definitely got more than just his trousers. The fabric was shredded, as he’d expected, but there was clearly a ragged bite mark streaming blood down his thigh. He hadn’t felt it.

“Sam, you there? Come in, Sammie boy.”

_ “I’m here. What happened? I have no cameras in that area. All I heard was a load of swearing and you two running like the hounds of hell were after you.” _

“I’m not sure about them coming from hell, but they were definitely hounds. A bloody great big Shepherd took a bite out of Simon’s thigh,” Five answered.

_ “What? Are you okay? Are you somewhere safe?” _

“It’s okay, Sammie. We made it to a house with an open door. Five’s going to go and make sure the back door is closed, while I get myself off the floor and onto a sofa.”

“Face down. I’ll look for med supplies once I’ve checked the door.”

“You just want a better look at my gorgeous tush, Five. Admit it.” Simon accepted Five’s hand to get up. He leant on the wall. As the adrenaline faded, the pain grew. “I’ll be alright, make sure that door is secure.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you’re not on that sofa by the time I’ve checked the bathroom, I’m dragging you onto it.”

“Promises, promises,” Simon retorted. He wasn’t entirely sure that he would make it all the way to the sofa though. It looked like it was as far from the front door as possible while still being inside the ground floor. Five was ignoring him, already speaking to Sam instead, instructing him to get Maxine over to comms to talk Five through treating his leg.

Well, at least Five wasn’t going to try and go at his leg  _ completely _ unaided.

He flopped down face first just before Five entered the living room. A green bag with a white cross dangled from the other Runner’s hand. A brown bottle was clutched in the other hand, the bottom edge of a blue label just visible.

“Hey, Sam, I’ve found some first aid gear. Even a full, sealed bottle of TCP.”

Simon groaned. He’d been hoping that wasn’t what was in the bottle Five was holding.

_ “Hey Runner Five. Sam’s stepped out for a bit, he says he doesn’t really want to be here for this. He says you’re wearing a headcam. Could you turn it on for me?” _

“Sure. One second.” Five dropped the medical supplies next to the sofa and fiddled with the headset. “Is that it?”

_ “That’s great. Could you look at Simon’s leg for me please.” _

Five knelt next to the sofa, and pulled Simon’s leg so the bite was more clearly visible. “At least we know it was definitely a dog.”

_ “Wow, that’s going to need stitches,”  _ Maxine muttered. Simon didn’t think they were meant to hear that.  _ “When you get back here, that is. I’m not going to ask Five to stitch you up in the field.” _

“I wouldn’t  _ let _ Five stitch me up. No offence, but you’re no medic, and I’ve seen your attempts at sewing.”

Simon let his head rest on his arms as Five followed Maxine’s directions. His trousers were cut off his legs ( _ “Five needs access to the injury.” _ ), water, TCP, and more water were poured over his thigh ( _ “I didn’t know you could hit such high notes, Simon.” _ ), and then a plaster was laid carefully over his leg (“Feels weird, doc, like a giant Compeed.”  _ “It’s a hydrocolloid bandage, same as a blister plaster.” _ )

By the time Five was finished, Simon was ready to give up on the whole day. When Maxine had handed the comms back to Sam ( _ “Head back carefully, don’t overstress that leg, and come straight to me on arrival.” _ ) Five turned the headcam back off to conserve battery power.

_ “I’ll get some sharpshooters sent out to escort you, in case the dogs are still around. You’ve got some time before they arrive guys,” _ Sam announced. Simon wondered why he hadn’t sent them out while Five was torturing him under Maxine’s direction.

“Oh good, that gives Five time to find me some new trousers.”

Five grumbled, but wandered back up the stairs. Simon flipped himself over and sat up. The occupants of the house looked like a nice couple. Sort of like Jack and Eugene, if he squinted. Maybe if things had been different, that pair might have ended up living somewhere like this. Although, they wouldn’t have ever met if not for the whole zombie apocalypse thing. They didn’t really run in the same circles, from the way they told it.

Five chuckled from upstairs. A chill ran down Simon’s spine. That did not forebode good things for  _ him _ .

“Sorry, Si. There’s no trousers left behind. Well, none big enough for you anyway.”

How could that even be? These guys were wearing trousers in all their pics. Surely they didn’t take  _ all _ of them when they fled for the hills?

“Luckily for you, they did leave something behind that you can wear.”

Okay, Five’s continued amusement  _ really _ wasn’t a good sign. Nor was the swishing sound that was louder than Five’s light footsteps.

Okay. Simon was damn sure he hadn’t hit his head, but he must have. That was the only explanation for Five holding up a dress with a shit-eating grin. To be more specific, a dress that looked like it was designed for a  _ man _ to wear. Or a very broad-shouldered woman, but given the photos on the walls…

“There were more pictures upstairs,” Five explained. “And some awards. Wayne was a drag queen, and a  _ very _ good one. He won more than a few contests. I guess taking that stuff was less of a priority. Especially as…”

“Yeah, people were odd enough about that sort of thing  _ before _ . No point in putting a target on your back in an already shitty situation.” Simon sighed and eyed up the dress. “Are you  _ sure _ there’s no trousers?”

“The only trousers up there clearly belonged to the other guy, and his legs are like  _ twigs. _ Those tree trunks of yours would never fit in them.”

“Tree trunks? I’ll have you know that these magnificent specimens are finely honed  _ works of art _ , sculpted meticulously by hard work and exercise.”

“They’re tree trunks. Now get dressed so we can get going.”

Simon wriggled into the dress. It was surprisingly, and weirdly, comfortable. There was plenty of room for him to breathe in it. The only problem, to his mind, was the length.

“There is no way  _ at all _ that I can run in this. I’ll trip over it every five seconds.”

Five snorted. “That is your  _ only _ objection to this?”

“You’ve made it very clear that it’s my only option.” Simon swished from side to side. Huh, that was kind of fun actually.

“Hold still.” 

Simon tried to follow what Five was doing, but he was still confused. Somehow Five had managed to turn a floor length skirt into something like a pair of shorts wrapped around his upper legs.

“Better?”

“Yeah. How did you learn that?”

“The internet.”

_ “Guys? The sharpshooters are almost there. Be ready to move.” _

“Gotcha, Sammie.” Simon grinned at his partner. “I don’t suppose there were more of these up there?”

“We can come back another day.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this image](https://i.imgur.com/R4pHUtU.png). Poor Simon.


End file.
